Thank you very much for contacting me about NHS pay rises.
Welsh Conservatives believe that the focus, dedication and commitment of people working in the NHS is exemplary. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their courage and steadfastness during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NHS pay in Wales is the responsibility of the Labour Government, and I am aware that they accepted the Independent Pay Review Body’s recommendations for the levels of pay for NHS staff in 2022, with nurses, paramedics and midwives receiving a pay rise of at least £1,400, with the lowest earners set to receive an increase of up to 9.3%. However, I do note that not only did the Labour Government in Wales receive billions from the UK Conservative Government in the effort to fight coronavirus, last year, it received the biggest uplift in its budget since the start of devolution. Together, this funding should have given the Welsh Government certainty to plan in-year spending and provide additional future investments in areas such as the Welsh NHS.
It is therefore up to the Labour Government and its partners in Plaid Cymru to decide where to spend this money, and my colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives would expect it to be spent directly on the Welsh NHS.
Finally, Welsh Conservatives have been clear that it is not just pay which needs to be examined in the Welsh NHS – key conditions such as mental health support, retention, upskilling and tackling the mammoth staffing gaps in the NHS must be tackled urgently, so the NHS workforce is fully supported. I assure you that my colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives will continue to press the Welsh Government on all of these important issues.
Thank you again for taking the time to write to me.
Yours sincerely
Mark